what shavings can do
Originally uploaded by The Woolley Farm.
I got home last night after 3 days at Spa in Freeport to find that Brandon had been very very busy cleaning out the sheep pens in the barn. We are having the Maine State Sheep Breeders here next month, and as President, we will want to present the cleanest farm we can. Our ‘talk’ is all about how sheep-coats & NO SHAVINGS can make a trashed fleece into a $100 fleece.
I came home & discovered that Brandon had put shavings in 4 pens. No sheep coats. Shavings on the floor. When I SCREAMED, and ran to the house, I knew if I said anything Brandon would get mad as anytime I want to do something different in the barn, he thinks he knows best and that my ideas/thoughts are not wise. But I do know fiber! I do!!! And I know that shavings are BAD BAD BAD for fleece. I have told him again & again. He keeps bragging to others about how much money we can get for our fleeces and we’re showing that all off next month to a whole group and what does he do? He uses shavings!!!
When I came in I tried not to beat him with a dirty fleece or a pitchfork. I was gritting my teeth and said “Why did you use shavings? Please don’t use shavings again, you know that they stick to the fleeces & ruin them”. He said very off-hand “Oh, they’ll brush right out”.
Since when???? How???? I figure 40 fleeces ruined, times an average of $60 per fleece, that’s $2,400 down the drain. I don’t know, maybe I’m being dramatic, but I don’t want to spin fleeces with shavings and they DON”T just brush out. And we need that fleece money to pay for hay & grain. I’m so sad I’m in tears. Why can’t he just admit that I might know better than he does about fleeces and help me with the coatings? I can’t do it myself, especially with the horned Jacobs. He just never has the time to help me and he gets mad at me when I’m in the barn with him and say anything.
ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Waaaa waaaa waaaaaaa.
